I'm the princess and the pea when it comes to sofas. My husband will attest that I've had complaints about all four couches we've owned since getting married six years ago. Our first sofa felt flimsy, the next was far too firm, and our last couch required constant fluffing. Each time, I've gotten closer to my "perfect" sofa, but never quite at the mark.
When we moved into our current apartment, I knew it was time to put the lessons I learned to use and try another sofa. This time, I wanted something comfy, but with enough support that I didn't feel like I was being enveloped in the cushions every time I sat down. It also had to fit the dimensions of our small city apartment, including getting through our narrow hallway. In the city, every piece of furniture needs to be multifunctional, so bonus attributes on my wish list were a sofa that could convert to a guest bed, and arms that were wide enough to double as end tables.
Given my specific and unique wish list, I found myself drawn to Interior Define. Its sofas are custom-made, so you can tweak every element to your liking — a dream come true for a self-proclaimed sofa snob. After customizing my Sloan Sofa, I'm closer than ever to my ideal match. My husband, however, insists we've already found it; he'd happily swap our bed for it. Here's my experience designing and living with a custom Interior Define sofa over the last nine months.
The Sloan is one of Interior Define's flagship sofas, available in a range of options, from a two-seater loveseat to a sectional. It's an attractive, modern design that can be customized to your ideal length, color, depth, and feel.
What we like
What we don't like
Designing my sofa
Tons of options, but not so many that I felt overwhelmed
I think Interior Design offers the perfect level of furniture customization — enough options so that you can get something perfect for your space, but not so many that you're overwhelmed or end up with a Frankencouch.
The first choice you make is the style of sofa, and I was immediately drawn to the Sloan. As previously mentioned, every piece of furniture I bring into my tiny apartment needs to be multifunctional and it was a must to have a sofa with legs instead of a base, so I could use the gap between the seat and the floor as storage.
The next element of customization was the fabric. Here, I ordered swatches, which I recommend that anyone investing in a large piece of furniture do. You can order 10 swatches for free, and the website lets you filter by the various attributes of each fabric type. Since I knew we wanted a colorful couch that would be impervious to my cat's claws, that narrowed down the options pretty easily for me. I quickly received my 10 swatches, and we settled on a performance velvet in a bold wine color.
The final decisions to make involve sofa length, leg type, seat depth, cushion fill, and whether you want a bench seat or individual cushions. There are 18 leg styles, from classic wood to sleek metal and decorative options, each changing the sofa's overall vibe. Cushion fills also affect the feel: the standard down blend offers a medium-firm seat; the double down blend is plusher but requires more fluffing; and the down alternative is a supportive, low-maintenance option. You can also choose a slipcover or upgrade to a sleeper model, though doing so limits the available leg designs.
For my selections, I chose an 83-inch sofa with oiled walnut tapered round legs, standard-depth seats, and the standard down-blend fill. I opted for a bench seat, which I thought might make the sofa more comfortable to sleep on for an occasional guest (more on that later).
Ordering and delivery
Your experience probably won't be like mine (fortunately)
It took about eight weeks from ordering until my sofa was ready to be delivered. Interior Define's sofas are all hand-delivered for a flat $299 rate. I got a call about a week out to schedule a specific delivery window.
I'm going to be totally honest. My delivery and assembly process was far from standard, through no fault of Interior Define at all. Though I took many measurements to ensure that my couch would fit through my apartment's narrow hallways, I miscalculated by literally a fraction of an inch: because of the lip on my doorframe, the couch wouldn't fit through the door. Long story short, despite the best efforts of my delivery drivers, I had to call the Sofa Doctor — an NYC tradition where an emergency furniture disassembly service rescues your couch from where it's stuck and reassembles it in your apartment (for an exorbitant fee, of course).
How it's normally supposed to work is that two delivery drivers carry your sofa into your home, put on the legs, and remove the packaging. Suffice to say, that's not how it went for me — again, through no fault of Interior Define.
Comfort and day-to-day living
We've logged hundreds of hours on this couch
It's a good thing we love the sofa, because I have no idea how we're going to get it out when it's time to move. (Please don't make me call the Sofa Doctor again.)
Size-wise, it fits our living room like a glove (which makes sense, since we designed it that way). It nails my main requirement — that elusive balance between cushy and structured. Even with the standard seat depth, the cushions fully support me from behind the knees to halfway up my back.
It technically seats three, but two is the sweet spot. My husband and I are both on the larger side, and we can comfortably sit side by side without bumping elbows, or, in my preferred position of me sprawled out with my feet on his lap. Of course, if you need more room, you can customize your sofa however you like.
I've worked from this couch nearly every day for the past nine months, so I've clocked some serious time on its cushions. I can easily sit on it for an entire workday without feeling any discomfort. Its ample armrests fulfill my wish of being able to double as end tables — I regularly set my phone or a drink on them (with a coaster, of course).
It makes a great guest bed (or everyday bed if you're my husband)
While Interior Define makes dedicated sleeper sofas with pull-out mattresses, I didn't think we'd have guests often enough to justify giving up the under-couch storage to a mattress. Instead, I opted to outfit our sofa with a bench seat that I thought would make it more comfortable for the occasional couch crasher to sleep on. This thinking proved correct when we had a series of house guests who chose to sleep on the sofa over a queen-sized air mattress. The deep, singular seat makes it very comfortable to sleep on. Save for a few inches in any direction, it's basically akin to sleeping on a twin-sized mattress.
If our guests' opinions weren't enough, my husband has taken to sleeping on the sofa, which he finds more comfortable than our bed. I'm not complaining — I'm perfectly happy having an entire King-sized mattress to myself, but it's a testament to just how comfy this couch is.
It's durable, pet-friendly, and holding up beautifully
Between me working from it and my husband sleeping on it, the couch is pretty much continuously occupied for at least 16 hours a day. Despite that, it's held up remarkably well. The cushions remain fluffy and supportive, and the fabric is still sleek, shiny, and perfectly velvety. I don't see any stains in the fabric, but the dark color is also very accommodating of blemishes. Given how heavily used this sofa is, I'm sure I'd detect some wear if the fabric was a lighter color.
True to its promise, the performance velvet fabric has been remarkably pet-proof. Most cats (ours included) don't like the feel of velvet, and she's graciously kept her claws off the upholstery. Her hair does end up all over the fabric, but it vacuums up easily.
Cons to consider
My only quibble with the couch is that the bench seat tends to slide, and the cushion migrates within the seat cover. I've tried fixing this with strips of Velcro tape, but it's made very little difference. I've considered sewing the cover to the inner cushion to prevent slipping, but I'm frustrated that I even have to contemplate that option given the price of the sofa. At this point, I've given up the daily battle of adjusting the seat, but I have to admit that it irks me every time I look at the couch.
What are your alternatives?
There's a dizzying array of options when it comes to finding a couch. I'd say the closest experience to Interior Define is Benchmade Modern, another online custom furniture retailer. I designed a chair with Benchmade Modern and the process was quite similar to Interior Define. I particularly liked that Benchmade will send you a full-sized blueprint of your chosen piece before you order, which may have saved me from the door frame debacle I had with the Interior Define sofa. You can read more in my Benchmade Modern review.
Some of the other best places to buy a sofa are Article, Burrow, Quince, and Joybird. I particularly like Sundays. I previously had the brand's Movie Night sofa before we had to downsize when moving from Kansas to New York City. I loved that couch; it just needed to be fluffed constantly. If I were to buy a sofa again, I'd likely order the Sundays Get Together sofa or its sister brand Hetta's Saddle Sofa, which features seatbacks that can be adjusted up or down. I've seen both pieces in person, and they're beautiful, well-made couches.
The bottom line
My custom Interior Define Sloan Sofa strikes that elusive balance between comfort, structure, and style. It's supportive enough for all-day lounging (or working), plush enough for sleeping, and durable enough to withstand cat claws and near-constant use. While the sliding bench cushion is a minor frustration, the overall quality, comfort, and ability to design every detail to fit my small apartment make it well worth the investment. If you're picky about your seating and want a sofa that feels truly your own, Interior Define delivers.
Other Interior Define furniture to consider
A designer favorite, the Sydney Sofa has a sculptural, modern silhouette with Art Deco vibes. Like all Interior Define sofas, it’s also highly customizable — choose your fabric, size, and depth to fit your space.
One of the brand's best-selling pieces, the Maxwell Accent Chair features a plush, roomy seat. You can mix and match fabric and leg styles to make something perfectly suited to your style and space.
Stunningly designed, the Caitlin Sofa is sure to grab attention no matter what fabric color you end up choosing. The sofa is made for soft seating and will match both minimal and modern decor styles.
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